By ANDREW SELSKY, Associated Press
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. government has taken a step toward approving the expansion of a natural gas pipeline within the Pacific Northwest — a move opposed by environmentalists and the attorneys general of Oregon, California and Washington state.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, announced Friday it has accomplished an environmental impact statement that concluded the project “would end in limited opposed impacts on the environment.”
“Most opposed environmental impacts could be temporary or short-term,” the federal agency said.
A grassroots coalition of environmental groups said the evaluation conflicts with climate goals of Pacific Northwest states and fails “to handle upstream methane emissions from the harmful practice of fracking.”
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The Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline belongs to TC Energy of Calgary, Canada – the identical company behind the now-abandoned Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.
Gas Transmission Northwest proposes to switch three existing compressor stations along the pipeline — in Kootenai County, Idaho; Walla Walla County, Washington; and Sherman County, Oregon — to spice up capability by about 150 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. The corporate says the project is mandatory to satisfy consumer demand.
The 1,377-mile (2,216-kilomter) pipeline runs from the Canadian border, through a corner of Idaho, and into Washington state and Oregon, connecting with a pipeline going into California.
In August, the attorneys general of Oregon, Washington state and California asked the FERC to disclaim the proposal, saying the expansion is predicted to end in greater than 3.24 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per 12 months, including methane and carbon dioxide.
“This project undermines Washington state’s efforts to fight climate change,” Washington state Attorney General Ferguson said back then. “This pipeline is bad for the environment and bad for consumers.”
The grassroots coalition said the federal study didn’t adequately address harmful impacts on the climate brought on by the project, including by fracking to acquire the natural gas. The energy industry uses the technique to extract oil and gas from rock by injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel and chemicals. However the technique increases emissions of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas.
“FERC’s approach will worsen the climate crisis, downplaying the impacts of a proposal that may pollute our communities, impact health and safety, and create tens of millions of tons of climate-changing pollution every year,” said Lauren Goldberg, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, an environmental group based in Hood River, Oregon.
The regulatory commission’s study noted that its staff was unable to evaluate the project’s contribution to greenhouse gases “through any objective evaluation.”
“Climate change is a world concern,” the federal study said. “Nevertheless, for this evaluation, we are going to give attention to the present and potential cumulative climate change impacts within the project area.”
TC Energy said Saturday that it’s reviewing the environmental impact statement, which really useful just a few mitigation measures.
The corporate has “secured long-term agreements with customers for 100% of the project capability,” TC Energy said in an email. “This further demonstrates the necessity for secure energy to complement renewables as we work toward a cleaner energy future.”
FERC is predicted to make its final decision on the proposal on Feb. 16, the environmental coalition said.
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